Chair attachment



Ocf. 1-1, 1932. c. F. THOMPSON 3 CHAIR ATTACHMENT 2 Sheets-Sheet I 1Filed March 17, 1950 Bnventor (/MiZeJ FT/w m/z attorney? Oct. 11, 1932.c, THOMPSQN 1,882,264

CHAIR ATTACHMENT Filed March 17, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Bnnentorattorney! Patented a 11, 1932 CHARLES r. rnomrsou, or; RELAY; MAR iJANnv3 i' cnniaie'rracumuur,

Application filed March 17,1930; Serial Iva-425,535. ,j

i The present invention relates to attach ments for chairs, couchesorbeds, but-is more particularly intended for use with invalid chairsand serves-toprovide a rest for a tra book, newspaper or the like.

ne of the primary objects ofthe-invention resides in the provision ofsuch a support which'may be readily swung into position across'the frontof the chair. and which may,

with equal facility be collapsed andswun back into storage position atthe side .of-the chair. w

Another object of the invention consists in the provision of a supportwhich may be adjusted to various. heightsa'nd at various angles so as toadapt it to the convenience of the occupant of thechair.

Other objects andadvantages oftheinvensv tion will beapparent from thefollowlng de-' scription when taken in connection with the accompanyingdrawings; in which Figure 1 is afragmentary perspectlve View of aninvalid chair with the novel attachment placed in operative positionfor=supporting a book orthelike.

.Figure2 is a similar view wlth the attachment adjusted to position toserve as a-support'for a-lunch' tray;

F igure .3 s a similar, view showlngthe attachment completely collapsed,and, 11,1 stored position attheside of the chair, and also indicatingindotted lines the attachment about to be swung into position across; thefront of the chair. 7

' Figure 4 is. a detail perspective view of the chair handle showing themanner of mounting one of the supporting rods for the attachment, H I cFigure 5 is a sectional view taken on' line 55 of Figure 3.,

Figure 6 is a sectional detail view showing the attachment stored in itssupporting bracket.v

Figure 7 is a 'sectionalqview taken on line 7'-7 ofFigurel.

Referring to the drawings in greater detail the numeral, 1 indicates aninvalid chair of any conventional construction and provided with arms2on; which the novel attachment is mounted; It is to be understood,however,

that thepresent constructionis also'adapted for use on anyothertypeof-furniture which,

may-be. provided with the equivalent of the arms 2, so as to attachment.a i c. v,

In the present embodiment of the invention one ofv the arms 2isprovidedwith a pair of brackets or bearings 8 on its -undersideiin which-isslidably m'ounteda rode; To the g outer endof the rod 4 a block 51spivoted and to whicha bar 6 is fixedly securedmOnithis bar 6 a bracketor plate 7 is rotatably mount ed and-is preferably spaced intermediatethe ends thereof-by meansof'sleeves 8 and; 9. I On the end'ofthe bar 6remotefromthe block 5a clip 10 is provided which is adapted provide asupport" for: the

to engage over the outerend of arod- 1'1.

This rod 'llis slidably mounted on theother arm 2 of the chair bymeans-of bearings12, and may be slid backwardly into concealed positionor extended outwardly inthe same I manner as the rod 4. I i The restforthe support of a lunch tray,

book, newspaper, orthe like, is generally in- '75 plurality of 1 metalstrips 14 preferably of dicated 'by-the numeral l3,-and comprises'aangular cross section and supported in paral lel relationship by aseriesof lazy-tongs 15 Three of these metal strips are providedand the innerone thereof'is adapted in certain positionsof the rest to bear upon thearms 2.

For this purposegpartsof the ends thereof are bent downwardly asindicated numeral 16 so that two'fingers are provided'on each end .ofthis {particular strip. These fingers are preferably'covered by sheetrubber or the. like .17 so as to prevent damage to the finish of thechair, and as v-willgappearfrom an inspection of Figure 1, thedownturned v fingers 16 engage against? the inner sides of the arms'andthus prevent any lateral movement of therest when in the particularpositionshown in Figure l -with its lower edge supported directly on thechai'r'; r p The bookrest or the like as just described,

is connected to the plateor bracket 7 by means ofa pair of. lazy tongs 18; whichhave their upper ends connected to themiddle bar 14 of V therest and their lower ends secured to the plate 7; The manner of securingthe lazy tongs .18 to the plate 7 is indicated more Between the; plate 7and" the head of the eye bolts 19 c1i'ps'21 are inserted and areprovided with inturned ends 22 which are adapted to frictionallyengagethe bar 6 when the nuts are screwed up-into po'sitionl 'By this" meansit will'be apparent that the bolts 19 ,7 and their nuts 20 serve notonly to connect the lazy tongs to the plate 7, butalso to lock'the plate7 with respect: to its bar 6, thereby permittingthe adjustinguoftherestor book sup port in any preferred angular position. As anadditional'means of 'lockingthe plate 7 against relativemovementwithrespect tothe barv 6, another eye bolt 23 and .nut2 are .7

provided.,; 1' V a Y L; From the construction thus vfar described, it'will be apparentthat the present attach m'ent may be-swungintoposition'shown 1n orby. means of the; lazy tongs18 it a any;angular-position by setting upon the nuts 120 and 24. When theattachment is not desir,ed;for:use, the rest may be collapsed bypressing together. thelthree 1 strips 14: .of angle iron'as indicatedindotted lines in Figure 3,

and may of course, by means of lazy tongs 18 be depressed intoengagement with the plate 7., By detaching the friction clip 10, theentire-apparatus may then be.swung about the outer end of rodt andbrought into substantially parallel position relative thereto; In ,orderto store the attachment in an accessible position for-further use aspring clip 25 is secured to the underside of the'arm 2 on whiohtherodlis mounted; It will be apparent that whenthe collapsed apparatus isswung below. thearm 2 as indicated in Fig ure 3-itis free and'may bereadily pressed intothe c1ip25, andin 0rder to preventits accidentaldisplacementtherefrom, the end of vthe-plate 7 whichis adjacent the clip10 is provided with a tongue 26 which is adapted to engagej.-behind"-thevertical'portion oflthe clip 25 ljby a forward movement of theapparatusafteritiis placed inthe clip 2 5.1'This sliding movement ofthe. apparatus is, f

- course, permitted by the'slid'able mounting of the-rod 4 to which'theapparatusis connected.

lathe operation:ofthe devicea slight rear- .ward movement ofthecollapsed support will release, the tongue 26 from the clip 25 and thuspermit thesame to be withdrawn from V the clip-and swung outwardlyacross the 'frontof the chair 'asindicated in dotted lines 'inFigure;3.- The rod ll is thendrawn outwardly as indicated in F igure3'soasito receivetheclip'lflongtheend of the bar 6330 asto support thedevice in athori zontal ,posijreadily-swung intoposition for supportinga included within course, permit any 'desired'horizontal ad justment ofthe attachment; Furthermore, by reason of the lazytong connections bee-tweenthe restand plate7 and the locking nuts 20 and 24, the rest may bearrangedin any desired "angular position for supporting anewspaper,book, or the like.

v From the foregoing description, taken in connect-ionwiththeaccompanying drawlngs,

it willbe apparent that I have provided a comparatively simple andinexpensive construction of chair attachment whichimay be lunch .tray,book, orfother :article in; a position best suited to the occupant ofthe chair, and-that when use .iof thede'vice-is discontinned it maybereadily. collapsed into a compact bundle... or package and-Jswunginto astorage position beneath anarmof theichair and practically concealedfrom view, The

' invention, while shown as '7 applied to the chair, isalsoreadilyadapted for use with-a Figure 2 with the tray restingv in a horizontalplane,

"maybeelevated above the plate-7 andsecured couch,=bed or the like,-andthe term chair in the specification" and claims is intended 1 to merelydefine onejform of base on which the out departingfrom-thespirit oftheinvention and all suchrchangesl are intended to be the scope of theappended "Whatl claim'isz' made in the details of the construction withIn CQmbiHatiOn; Y 5; slidably and rotatably-mountedat'one 'side of thechair, a bar pivotedat'one'endto 'the outer end of said rod, means for'supporting;the

opposite end of; said bar, and a collapsible no rest mounted on saidbarg f 2. lneombinatlon, a chair,a'ro d gslidably and rotatably mountedat oneEside of the chair, abar pi votedatone end to the outer endof saidrod, means for supporting the oppositerend' o1"; "saidbar a collapsible'rest comprising side members and a lazy tongs connection therefor,'andmeans for mounting said rest on the bar.

3. In-combination', a chair, a' rodslidably and rotatably mounted aton'e side of the chair, a bar pivoted iat' one I end to theflouterend'of said rod, ja slidably mounted 'r'od on the opposite side of thechair andadaptedjto suppo'rtth'e free end ofsaidbar, and ac o1- lapsiblerest mounted on said bar, Y

' 4. In ombination' a chair, a bar, a'pivotal' connection between oneendfof said bar and the chair, means forisupporting the free end ofthe"bar, a; collapsible restcomprising a plurality of metal stripsarranged'in-tparallel m0 relation and a lazy tongs connection therefor,

and an extensible. connection between said bar and rest.

5. In combination, a chair, a bar, a pivotal connection between one endof said bar and the chair, means for supporting the free end of the bar,a plate loosely mounted on said bar, means for locking said plate to thebar at various angular positions, a rest, and exteinsible meansconnecting said rest to the p ate.

6. In combination, a chair, a bar, a pivotal connectionbetween one endof said bar and the chair, means for supporting said bar across thefront of the chair, a plate loosely mounted on the bar, means forlocking said plate at various angles, a rest, extensible meansconnecting said rest to the plate, and

fingers on the rest for engaging the chair arms in one position of therest.

CHARLES F. THOMPSON.

